Line-holder



Patented Apr. ll, I899.-

' J. BROUGH.

LINE HOLDER. (Application filed Oct. 1, 1898.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

'QNo Model.)

WITNESSES [NVENTOR .JahnBrauyh,

uy/ Allorney J:

No. 623,072. Patelitefl Apr'. H, I899.

.1. snouan. I LINE HOLDER.

(Application filed Oct-1, 1898.; (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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WITNESSES JLQQVENTOR h 0 7i Toll a; (is .212 I UNITE STATES PATENTOFFICE.

JOHN BROUGH, OF MANCHESTER, CONNECTICUT.

LINE-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 623,072, dated April11, 1899.

Application filed October 1, 1898.

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN BROUGH, a citizen of the UnitedStates,.residing at Manchester, in the county of Hartford and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inLine-Holders; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exactdescription of the invention, such as willenable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to automatically-opcrating rein-holding devicesfor vehicles to prevent draft-animals from running away from a standingposition during the absence of the driver or occupants of vehicles.

The invention primarily consists of a vertically-movable rein-holdingtoothed bar, an adjustable shaft carrying at one end a pinion meshingwith said bar and operating the latter in one direction and on theopposite end a gear engaging an internal toothed disk on one of thewheels, said shaft having a spring surrounding it which is wound thereonby rotation in a forward direction and unwound by the backward movementof the vehicle, which reverses the movement ofthe shaft and pinion andraises the bar upwardly into a normal position, and a shifting lever forsliding said shaft and throwing the gear on the outer end thereof intoor out of engagement with the said toothed disk.

The invention further consists of the details of construction andarrangement of the several parts,which will be more fully hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

- The object of the invention is to effectually check unusual movementsof ahorse or horses when left standing without requiring the employmentof a common hitching-strap and obviatin g the delay incident to hitchingand un-. hitching a horse or horses and insuring a safe detention of thedraft-animals at all times when desired through the medium of devicescarried directly by the vehicle and adapted to be adjusted when not inuse to avoid interference with the free movement of the vehicle underordinary conditions.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a partof the body of a Vehicle and running-gear, showing the improved deviceapplied thereto and as operatin g to draw on the reins. Fig. 2 is asectional Serial No. 692,428. (No man.)

elevation of the arrangement of parts shown by Fig. 1 and illustratingthem in normal position. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of thearrangement shown by Fig. 2, looking toward the wheel carrying thetoothed operating-disk. Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation illustratingsimilar parts, including the toothed disk on the wheel and the gearengaging the same on the operating-shaft of the improved device. Fig. 5is an enlarged sectional elevation of a part of the device to illustrateparticularly the toothed rein-holding bar, the operatingshaft and piniontherefor, and means for adjusting and returning the several parts to anormal position.

Referring to the drawings, wherein similar numerals are utilized toindicate corresponding parts in the several views, the numeral 1designates a vehicle-body, which may be of any form or adapted to anyparticular service and has in connection therewith, as in all suchdevices, a front axle 2, with opposite wheels 3. On the axle 2 issecured an axlebeam 4, between which and a body-bolster 5 a fifth-wheelor turning-circle 6 is located. Directly secured against the inside ofthe dashboard or front end 7 of the vehicle-body are a pair of flangedguides 8, in which a toothed rein-holding bar 9 is vertically and spacedapart from each other, and between the same the lower apertured end 16of a shifting lever 1'7 engages the shaft and is pivoted, preferably, tothe body, as at 18, so as to be shifted either to the right or left in aplane parallel with the transverse extent of the dashboard. The shiftinglever 17 is adapted to be engaged by a hook or keeper 19, attached at asuitable elevation onthe inner surface of the dashboard or front end ofthe wagon-body and is intended to hold the shaft 14inward, for a purposewhich will be presently described.

On the inner end of the shaft 14 a pinion 20 is keyed and is of lessthickness than the toothed rein-holding bar 9, with which it continuallyengages. Between the nearest collar and the said pinion a spring 21 iscoiled about the shaft and has one end secured to said pinion and theopposite end connected to the said collar. On the outer end of the shaft14 a gear 22 is fixed and is adapted to bethrown into and out of meshwith an internal toothed disk 23, carried by one of the wheels 3 androtating with the latter. The collars 15 are preferably carried at theopposite ends of a sleeve, which is also fixed to the shaft 14 andengaged by the lower apertured end 16 of the shifting lever to avoidwear directly on the shaft, as will be obviously apparent.

The operation is as follows: WVhen it is desired to leave a vehicle andbring the improved attachmen ts into operation, the shifting lever 17 isthrown to the right and causes the gear 22 on the outer end of the shaft14 to fall into mesh with the teeth of the disk 23. The reins are thenattached to the hook 10 on the upper end of the toothed rein-holdiug bar9. If the draft animal or animals startto move in a forward direction,the wheel 23, carrying the disk 23, is rotated, and also said disk, andthe shaft 14 is revolved in the same direction. The revolution of theshaft Hnecessarily turns the pinion 20,which, meshing with the toothedrein-holding bar 9, causes the latter to move downwardly, as shown inFig. l, and exert a tension on the reins, which is increased as long asthe draft animal or animals continue to advance. A pull of the reins onthe animal or animals will necessarily check them and cause a backwardmovement. During the time that the shaft 14 has been revolving in aforward direction the spring 21 has been wound on the said shaft, and assoon as a backward movement ensues the said spring unwinds through itsresiliency or tendency to return to its normal condition, and therevolution of the pinion 20 is reversed, thereby moving the bar 9 driverwill shift the lever 17 toward the left until it engages the hook 19,and by this m ovement the shaft 14 is thrown to the rightnntil the gear22 is disengaged from the disk 23, and in this condition therunning-gear of the vehicle is not in the least interfered with eitherwhen running straight or turning, and by having the shifting lever inengagement with the hook 19 accidental outward movement of the shaft 14,arising from vibration of the vehicle, will be avoided.

It is obviously apparent that changes in the proportions, dimensions,and detailsof construction might be resorted to without in the leastdeparting from the nature or spirit of the invention.

. Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. In adevice of the character set forth, the combination of avertically-movable toothed rein-holding bar, an adjustable shaftcarrying a pinion on its inner end in engagement with said bar and agear on the outer end of the same, a wheel having a toothed disk withwhich the gear on the outer end of the shaft is adapted to mesh, and aspring surrounding a portion of the shaft and having one end attached toone of the bearings of the latter and the opposite end to said pinion.

2. In a device of the character set forth, the combination of avertically-movable toothed rein-holding bar, an adjustable shaft havinga pinion on the inner portion thereof in 'continual mesh with the saidbar and a gear on the outer end of the same, and a toothed disk withwhich the gear on the outer end of the shaft is adapted to mesh.

3, In a device of the character set forth, the combination of avertically-movable toothed rein-holding bar, a shaft having a pinion onthe inner portion thereof and engaging the said bar and a gear on theouter end of the same, a wheel having a toothed disk adapted JOHNBROUGI'I.

W'itnesses:

CHAS. S. THOMPSON, HENRY O. THOMAS.

